UAMS MESSENGERs

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 Volume 2 Issue 1 Debate Gives Students a Voice New Teachers By Briana Tolbert What is Mr. Jouya said, “I’m excited, finally we have eighth Come to UA the first thing graders who can compete at the highest level.” you think be These competitors will be debating about topics such about when as school lunches, STEM education, Native Americans you hear and the right to education. Middle School “debate?” The topic for beginners is school lunches, which is The 2017-18 “something everyone can relate to,” Davis said. By Alexia Harris season for Even though debate is an amazing activity, there are Two new middle school teachers here at University debate at still some challenges. Academy who are brand new to the building this year. University Davis said some of her challenges are “making time Ms. Tiffaney Brady is a middle school English and Academy is for debate and studying my cards so I know what I’m theater teacher. She is also the Upper School head vol- HERE!!! talking about in a debate round.” This is difficult leyball coach. Mr. Jeremy The “especially for a student athlete,” she said. Dorrell is a middle school coach, Mr. Another challenge students might face is overcoming science teacher. Debate students won many trophies last Sohail Jouya, the fear of talking in front of people. Both teachers said they year. meets with For anyone who shares that fear, Udo said, “Don’t like everything about UA— students every Tuesday after school from 3:15-5 p.m. Mr. be afraid, and speak loud.” the teachers, kids, etc. Jouya mentioned that last year UA’s Middle School de- Debate is an activity that can bring you big opportu- Ms. Brady said, “It's so bate team was second in the country, and a UA team nities like it did for Mr. Jouya. much more of a community placed 15th at Nationals over the summer. “Debate changed my life. Debate let me go to col- of teachers here that really Amanda Udo is a seventh grade student at UA in her lege and go to the greatest college ever, Oxford,” he said. work together, and I see that first year of debate. She said she heard about it through “I want students like me to have the same chance.” they really care about the her brother William. “If you want to join and think it will be fun, then do students.” “I wanted to join to beat him in a competitive way,” debate. If you don't want to do debate and don’t think it Ms. Brady has to have Udo said. William Udo out, you have competition. will fun, then don’t join,” Mr. Jouya said. patience to manage three dif- Jadea Davis is an eighth grade student in her third Davis, on the other hand, said, “It gives you some- ferent responsibilities, and year of debate. Davis said she joined debate because “it thing to do, and it increases your knowledge on other she also has to have a heart. gives me something to do, and if I don't get an athletic things going on outside of the school.” “I think I get my strength scholarship then I can get a debate scholarship.” That’s what you need to know about Middle School from God to be able to do a The first debate tournament was yesterday, which debate at UA. #AllAboutTheU lot of things that I do because means the season is officially here. I want to be able to touch lives no matter where I go,” Ms. Brady said. Even though Mr. Dorrell Chiefs on an Undefeated Roll is only teaching one subject, he has to have patience, too. By Montell Benjamin “Teaching, regardless of The Kansas City Chiefs are 5-0 right now, and the cause of the teams they have to go against. One difficult what grade it is, you have to On is Ms. Brady, season is going great. team they have to play is the Denver Broncos, who are 3- have patience. Middle school and on the bottom is New players for the Kansas City Chiefs this season 1 and allow an average of 50.8 rushing yards each game. is definitely the area I want to Mr. Dorrell. are quarterback Patrick Ma- Another tough team on the teach. I think middle school- homes and running Chiefs schedule is the Pittsburgh ers are really fun,” Mr. Dorrell said. back Kareem Hunt. There are Steelers. They are a good 3-1 team. He hopes to have fun with UA students for many no new coaches on board for the So the Chiefs have a really big sea- years to come. Kansas City Chiefs. son ahead of them. Mr. Dorrell said, “I plan to work here until who Recently the Chiefs won a Wilson's favorite player is Ma- knows when. I really don't know what the future holds, hard game over the Washington homes. being a first year teacher. I hopefully have many more Redskins on Monday Night “He’s good just like me, and years ahead of me at UA, and I’m excited to see what Football. The final score was 29 I'm going to be just like him,” Wil- the future holds.”

-20 at Arrowhead Stadium in son said. But he said the league Fun Facts About Our New Middle School Teachers: Kansas City. MVP will be “Marcus Peters just Ms. Brady is from St. Louis. University Academy Mid- because.” Mr. Dorrell used to be a competitive wrestler. dle School eighth grader Tyrese Another Chiefs fan at UA, Ms. Brady loves Jack Stack BBQ. Wilson said he thinks that the Chiefs will be 15-1 and Wyatt, said, “My favorite player is Travis Kelce because win the Super Bowl this year. he’s a savage.” He also said the league MVP will be Mr. Dorrell and Mr. Greenlee went to college together! Another eighth grader, Alonzo Wyatt, said he thinks “Kareem Hunt because he's nice.” the Chiefs will be 13-3 and win the Super Bowl. So they The next game is this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Ms. Stiles is new to UAMS this year, but she’s not new both expect the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. Steelers. It will be a home game starting at 3:25 p.m. to the UA building. Stay tuned for an article about her The rest of the Chiefs schedule seems very hard be- Make sure to watch the game and cheer on your Chiefs. in November’s newspaper! Gamers Are Happy With the New NBA 2K18 By Cannon Clark The new NBA 2K18 game has everyone’s minds Now some things people might shouldn’t be in Boston Celtics ,” blown because of its new features and new animations. hate about NBA 2K18 would be the which many fans found very amusing. NBA 2K18 is the new video game simulation devel- VC, which is Virtual Currency. For Irving was just traded to the Celtics over oped by 2K Sports. It is also the 19th installment of the example, people have to pay for their the summer. 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K17. MyCareer Player haircuts, which they Coleman said, “Obviously he’s the In the new NBA 2K18, the animations, the hairstyles didn’t have to do before on NBA best player in the NBA. Nobody can and the MyCareer Story are all great features. 2K17. mess with crossovers, so that’s why he Two University Academy Middle School students Another thing that people might is on the cover!!” who play NBA 2K18 are eighth graders De’Ante Hawley hate about NBA 2K18 would be people paying at least This game seems to be very fun for all 2K players and Michael Coleman. $100 of real money to upgrade their MyCareer Player who play 2K a lot. Hawley said, “You can do more things in NBA 2K18 instead of grinding to earn the upgrades. Lastly, coming from Coleman, players may be seeing than any other NBA 2K.” Which is so true. This year’s cover for NBA 2K18 features Kyrie Ir- him on a future cover. Coleman said, “The new NBA jerseys are nice, espe- ving. “They’re going to put me on the cover next cially the black ones for the Cleveland Cavaliers.” The thoughts on the cover from Hawley are that “he year,” Coleman said. “I’ll talk to y’all soon, 2K.” 1 Lady Gryphon Volleyball Makes Big Strides By Lorence White A few questions and answers with assistant University A: I would love to have more big gym time. … We need A few questions and answers with middle school vol- Academy Middle School volleyball coach, Ms. Tierra another big gym. leyball player, seventh grader Kennedi Dewberry: Howard: Q: What is your favorite move? Q: How have the players on A: I like serving and callout serves. your team been doing? A: My players have been doing Q: What is practice like? really well. A lot of them came in A: Practice is stressful, but we have a lot as first year players, so they’re of lessons to learn. using a lot of practice time to build their volleyball skills, and Q: What do you do to get better? you can see them developing A: Practice. A lot. We listen to the game after game. Even the ones coaches, too. experienced with volleyball have been pushing themselves to get Q: What do you enjoy most about better at their own individual The seventh and eighth grade volleyball teams have been working hard to improve. playing volleyball? skills, whether it’s serving, ball A: I enjoy the communication and sisterhood we have control, or whatever. I have watched them progress over Q: What’s your favorite thing about the sport? together. the few months we have had together. A: I love the teamwork. The girls are working together

and shouting a lot of chants and cheers. Q: What’s your favorite thing to do at games? Q: What are best and worst memories so far this sea- A: Bump, serve and communicate. son? Q: Anything else to say about the middle school volley- A: Best memory so far is the Nowlin win, and the worst is ball team? the end of the season because I'm not ready yet. Q: Anything else you’d like to say about middle school A: They are the best middle school team here! volleyball? A: We are family, and we are sisters! Q: Is there anything you would improve?

UAMS Football is Unbeaten Show

The Middle School football team is Off Personality 4-0. The team is coached by Mr. Greenlee and Mr. Jefferson. By Shamari Sydnor Shoes are important to many University Academy Middle School students. Since students wear , one of the only op- tions they have for personalization is through their shoes. Because of that, students often find it very im- portant to express themselves by wearing different kinds of shoes. Seventh grader Saniah Cay said that shoes allow students to be different Air Jordans from peo- ple around them. “People can be themselves by their shoes,” Cay said. “It shows eve- ryone's personality and how unique students are at University Academy.” Kameron Betts, another seventh grader, agreed. “It shows their sense of style,” Betts said. Lots of students are wearing the same brands of shoes to school. For example, many students wear Foamposites and Huaraches. Shoes really make students Huaraches feel excited and very happy to get to have nice shoes. “It makes me feel like ‘yasssss’ when I get my favorite shoes I have been wait- ing for,” Cay said. Betts agreed also by saying, “It makes me excited to get those new and nice shoes and other people may not have those shoes.” Students are looking forward to new releasing shoes like the Air Jordan 12 Bordeaux`s, which come out on Oct. 14. Also, recently students have been pur- chasing the Air Jordan 5 Blue Suede`s, which came out on Sept. 30. Even though shoes are very important, students can still be themselves without nice shoes. “Don’t let shoes categorize who you really are,” Cay said. 2 By Lorence White Elective Choices Expand at UA New Disney By Shalom Boyce University Academy Middle School Show Brings has added new classes to the extracurricu- lar list for students to pick from. Electives are very important for stu- dents. They really open students up to Back Raven other topics that they are not used to learn- ing. By Ja’Mir Johnson “I think that it’s great to give them choices to choose from because they're not Hey, guess what? There is a new show out on Dis- only restricted to a certain elective,” said ney Channel called “Raven’s Home.” Ms. Tiffaney Brady, the eighth grade Com- The show is about two divorced moms that have munication Arts teacher. kids they have helped raise together. They live in a Two of the new middle school extra- three-room apartment that has everyone wishing for curricular classes are Theater and Entrepre- more space. neurship. Ms. Brady teaches the Theater The show brings back characters like Raven and class, which is open to seventh and eighth Mr. Kemp is teaching a new middle school elective class this year— Chelsea from grade students. Mr. Tyler Kemp teaches Entrepreneurship. the old Dis- Entrepreneurship, which is also open to ney show seventh and eighth grade. the future, and I personally am not sure what I’m going “That’s So Theater is a favored extracurricular class. A lot of to do in the future,” said eighth grader Shaelsa Francois, Raven,” and students tried to switch to that class in the beginning of who is taking Entrepreneurship. it also adds the year. Unfortunately the maximum number of students Francois said in Entrepreneurship the students are new faces the class can have is 18. learning about past entrepreneurs and “morals such as like the kids The students there have been working on their up- being greedy.” Tess, Nia, coming performance “The Wiz.” Ms. Brady has already “I hear you never know what comes in the future, Booker and started on sign ups and has scripts ready. but definitely if I wanted to start a business it would give Levi. In the Students in her class have started with and me a boost,” said Francois. months to are working on their lines. There are several other extracurricular classes at UA come many “They’ve been working really hard to bring each part such as Band, Spanish, French, Journalism and Debate. people think of the production to life,” said Ms. Brady. They all allow students to explore new things. this show Entrepreneurship is an extracurricular class that fo- “I think [electives] allow students to have an outlet will be as cuses on the students’ future interests in business. to utilize creative ideas that they're not allowed to use or great as the “It is a great class if you want to start a business in show in content classes,” said Ms. Brady. popular “That's So Raven,” which was on the Dis- Halloween Is Almost Here ney Channel “Raven’s Home” cast members include By Brittany Taylor from 2003- 2007. two members of an old Disney show University Academy students and staff members are my cousin’s house and later go trick or treating.” “That’s called “That’s So Raven.” getting prepared for Halloween, which is right around the Mr. Brown said when he was little his family could- So Raven” corner! n’t afford costumes, so he wore his own clothes on Hal- featured Raven-Symone as the main character. She also Some fun Halloween traditions people enjoy include loween. stars in “Raven’s Home.” trick or treating, carving pumpkins or dressing up in cos- Wyatt said his favorite memory from when There are a lot of reasons why people like the new tumes. he was little was show better than the old show. University Academy UA students “when I dressed up as seventh grader Ronnia Grayson said, “The show is fun- Alonzo Wyatt and Batman.” nier because of the new and old characters interacting Niko Wilson said Fun things to do together.” they do celebrate in the Kansas City Grayson said her favorite character is Booker. Halloween, but area for UA students Seventh grader William Workcuff enjoys watching Middle School include going to “Raven’s Home,” too. Workcuff said his favorite epi- Debate teacher Mr. Worlds Of Fun or sode is “The Bearer Of Bad News,” because Raven Marlon Brown going to a local tried to do things that the kids would normally have said he and his haunted house. done with their dad like eat really, really spicy chili. family do not cele- Another exciting Grayson has a favorite episode, also. She chose brate the holiday. fun event is Boo at the “Ooh You’re Gonna Get It,” because of the ways they “We don’t take [our kids] trick or treating, if they Zoo. You can trick or treat at the zoo on Oct. 28-29. The made Raven’s face appear everywhere and on every- need candy we take them to the store,” Mr. Brown said. zoo offers fun activities for people to participate in, and thing. UA students like Halloween because they get to the animals entertain by smashing pumpkins. You can watch new and old episodes of “Raven’s up and get candy. UA is out of school on Halloween and the day after Home” on Disney Channel. New episodes come out on Wyatt said he plans to “dress up like a clown from Halloween, so enjoy your days off. Fridays. the ‘It’ movie.” Wilson said she plans on “going over to Offseason Drama in the NBA By Domanick Drummer The NBA offseason was full of a lot of dramatic the Minnesota Timberwolves from the Chicago Bulls. trades and drama. Clark said he agreed with the trade because “Butler One was the Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas trade. wasn’t going to do anything with Chicago Bulls so it was Thomas was traded to the Cavaliers and Irving was a good trade, and it was a good trade because they have traded to the Celtics. Karl Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and now Jimmy University Academy eighth grader Cannon Clark Butler. That’s a dominant three.” had some thoughts about the trade. Hawley said he thought it was an okay trade, but he “I don't think it’s right because Kyrie Irving doesn't said Butler could have gone to a better team. look right in a Celtics jersey,” he said. After all of these dramatic trades, it will be interest- Another trade was the Derrick Rose trade to the ing to see how the coming season goes. Cleveland Cavaliers from the New York Knicks. Eighth Both Clark and Hawley think Kyrie Irving should be grader De’Ante Hawley’s thoughts about this trade were, the Most Valuable Player in the 2017-18 season. They “It’s good, but doesn't matter because the Cavaliers aren’t said he’s too good and athletic. going to make it to the finals.” They also both said the best thing about the NBA is An- Thomas (left) and Irving (right) were part of a big trade in the NBA offseason. the playoffs other and watch- trade ing who- that ever goes hap- to the Fi- pened nals, which was decide the Jimmy eventual Butler NBA being champion. sent to 3 Check Out the Movie Review: “It” Brings Laughs By Jada Hatch Advisory Door The movie “It” has been a very popular movie in went to see the movie when it came to theaters. Seventh 2017. graders Kayla Carter and Kimmorah McCant both saw “It” was released on Sept. 8. So far, the movie has the movie. made $29,765,000 in theaters. Both girls said the movie was scary and funny. They Decorations! The main characters are Beverly, Richie, Georgie each had a favorite part. and It. “My favorite part Beverly and was when the boys had

Richie are teenagers a rock fight,” Carter who are friends with said. each other, and Geor- “My favorite part gie is Richie’s of the movie was when younger brother who they went into the is always wearing a haunted house,” yellow raincoat in the McCant said. movie. It is a scary They both had dif- clown whose face is ferent opinions about white. He also has red the movie’s rating, hair, a red nose and which is R. crooked teeth. The “It” movie has been a big hit with scary movie lovers at Carter said, “I don’t This movie is movie theaters this fall. think ‘It’ should be about a group of teen- rated R because kids agers who faced their worst nightmare by meeting a should have freedom and it’s not like it’s real.” clown named It. It lived in the sewer. The teenagers tried On the other hand, McCant said, “I think ‘It’ should their best to beat the clown up and get away. At the end be rated R because the movie has inappropriate language of the movie they end up defeating the clown. How? Be- and they do bad things.” cause they were fearless, and being fearless destroyed the Despite the film being rated R, the girls still recom- clown. mend it to others because they said it’s funny. Many University Academy Middle School students

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